Micro-Influencers and Your Company Culture

Thursday Sep 6th, 2018

You’ve been working hard to foster a positive company culture, so why not align your marketing efforts with your brand’s core values, mission, and work ethic? Arguably, one of the best approaches to doing just that is to partner with content creators who exemplify the essence of your business. Remember, great micro-influencers only endorse brands that they like. By the same token, companies should also be selective about the influencers with whom they work. Here is the situation: when an influencer posts about loving one of your products and services, by proxy, your image is associated with that kind of individual. So, are you the kind of company touted by a Kardashian or by a humble content creator with great style, high standards, and authentic opinions? By connecting with like-minded influencers, you’ll not only reach the right market, but the credibility of your company can be amplified. That being said, finding micro-influencers that fit with your business is not as easy as it sounds. To get a better picture of the process, let’s explore how micro-influencers can showcase your culture in a way that boosts sales, site traffic, and brand awareness.

Establish a Plan

In combination with strong leadership, a healthy company culture is determined by a strong set of core values. This means as a brand, you should determine what it is you believe in before ramping up your marketing. Once you know who you are, you can start searching for micro-influencers that match your views, ethics, and of course, style. Cone Communications found that 87% of consumers purchase products from a business if it aligns with their personal beliefs. Why is this important to consider? Because without lending insights into your company’s culture, buyers don’t know where your values lie. Furthermore, Cone found that 76% will boycott a brand if their views or ethics don’t match with their own. This is precisely why you want to be endorsed by a content creator whose values are in line with your own. For example, if you only use materials that are eco-friendly, you don’t want your products showcased by an influencer who appears to be environmentally insensitive. Finding a creator that is contextually similar is essential, but it’s also important that you keep the scale of their influence in mind. If you own a small fashion boutique, bombarding millions of accounts that are outside of your target marketing, probably isn’t going to do much for your business. While there is a time to partner with celebs, you can build a deeper level of trust with micro-influencers. Ideally, you want to align with micro-influencers who have a smaller, yet avid following (marketplace platforms that will show you thousands of micro-influencers, it’s rare that they’re vetted appropriately. To find influencers that match your organization contextually, as well as at scale, consider reaching out to a marketing agency with a rigorously curated list of premier micro-influencers like ApexDrop.

Locate Your Target Market

After you create a plan, it’s crucial to distinguish where potential customers are and what they want. Ask yourself:

Reaching the correct consumers can be challenging if you don’t consider the demographics that are on each social media platform. For instance, Omnicorefound that 59% of the people on Instagram are between the ages of 18 and 29 and that 68% of those users are female. So, if your target market is millennial women, you should consider using Instagram as your main influencing medium. Once you know what social platform your target market frequents, it’s time to find influencers that can bridge that gap between you and the consumer. People are following influencers based on their similar interests, values, and opinions. Therefore, if the content’s creator is featuring a brand with the same values as their own, there is a good chance a bond will be formed between that brand and their followers. For example, if your business stands against the mistreatment of animals, you probably shouldn’t partner with an influencer who frequently dons leather handbags or fur coats. Once you establish what your potential market values, you’re ready to find the micro-influencers that can authentically promote your product.

Research Influencers

Influencer marketing is successful because there is a relationship built on valuable, authentic content. In fact, Nielsen reported that 66% of people believe consumer opinions that they see online. However, by forcing an influencer’s endorsement, brands risk breaking this trust with their target market. Micro-influencers can be the most effective part of your marketing efforts as a seamless blend of owned, paid, and earned media. But, in the case of high-quality content creators—unlike many aspects of the PR field—you can measure the success of a campaign with some clear key performance indicators (KPIs). 92% of consumers trust earned media, such as endorsements from friends and family, online reviews, and recommendations from authentic micro-influencers. Positive testimonials are compelling because of the trust that has been previously built with consumers, making influencers the secret PR experts that your business needs to be successful. Finally, assumptions about influencer marketing often cloud a brand’s judgment about what makes a “good” influencer. For many, there is an inclination to believe that the more followers a content creator has, the better the results will be. However, this rule of thumb doesn’t always apply. In fact, micro-influencers are often more effective than celebs because their average engagement rate is significantly higher. At ApexDrop, we regularly see several influencers hit a 10 to 15% engagement rate in each campaign.

Do a Trial Run

At ApexDrop, we contextually match our rigorously vetted micro-influencers to ensure brands are reaching their target demographic and accurately reflecting their company culture. Furthermore, we're one of the few influencer-marketing agencies that verify the offline presence of our content creators to determine legitimacy and integrity. To learn how ApexDrop separates itself from other micro-influencer marketing agencies, click here to schedule a quick demo. Apexdrop has helped thousands of authentic micro-influencers connect with quality brands through contextual product gifting (also known as trade collaborations). Imagine having an affordable and accessible way to get your products featured by hundreds of influencers immediately on Instagram, but without all the extra work. ApexDrop offers unparalleled service in campaign management from start to finish and can assure that clients receive quality posts and authenticity. For more information, schedule a call with an ApexDrop Influencer Specialist today www.apexdrop.com/contact.